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moroccan vegetarian recipes

This summer, we set out to share one practical, budget-friendly, and non-boring plant-based meal plan per season. Here is our meal plan for the Fall of 2017! We are really excited about the recipes in this one. It all starts out with cooking a pot of lentils and a pot of rice, roasting some winter squash, and prepping some kale. Those foundations then make their way into breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes that will take you through a whole week of nourishing and cozy fall meals.
As usual, we are splitting this meal plan into two parts. This first part will focus on weekend prep, as well as breakfast and lunch recipes. Part 2 is here, and it’s all about dinner and dessert recipes. Here we go!
Menu
(see Part 2 for dinner and dessert recipes)
Breakfast
Turmeric Millet Porridge with Roasted Squash
Date-Sweetened Apple and Squash Muffins
Lunch
Grain Bowl with Marinated Delicata Squash, Coconut Kale, and Lentil Hummus
Simple Butternut Squash and Green Apple Soup
Dinner
Brown Rice, Lentil, Kale and Squash Veggie Burgers w/­­ Any Fixings of Choice
Brussels Sprout Tomato Stew
Dessert
Rosemary-Roasted Plums with a Cardamom Sprinkle
*all recipes are vegan and gluten-free and will make enough for a week, for 2-3 people
Shopping List
(print)
Bring this list with you when you go food shopping, its got all the ingredients youll need for the recipes in this meal plan. All the items are separated by category, to make the shopping easier and more efficient. Take the time to look over this list beforehand and cross out any items you already have. The hope here is that you own some of the pantry staples, spices, and maybe even some of the produce required, which will help minimize the list.
Produce
Vegetables
- 1 large and 1 medium butternut squashes
- 2 medium delicata squashes
- 1 lb Brussels sprouts
- 2 bunches kale (or 1 very large bunch)
- 4 cups baby spinach
- 1 jalape?o pepper
- 1 lb crimini mushrooms
- 2 medium carrots
- 3 large yellow onions
- 2 heads of garlic
Fruits
- 2-3 green apples
- 1 lemon
- 1-2 limes (if using in place of brown rice vinegar for the marinated delicata)
- 8 ripe plums
Herbs
- rosemary
- sage
- green onions (optional)
- thyme (optional)
Other
- 3 cups almond milk or other plant milk of choice
- 1 13.5 oz can unsweetened Thai coconut milk
- 1 28 oz can or box crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup brown rice flour or other gluten free flour
- sesame tahini
- white sweet miso
- burger fixings like buns, lettuce, or anything else you like w/­­ your veggie burgers
- vanilla ice cream or plain yogurt to serve with the roasted plums (optional)
- crackers to snack on with the hummus or sourdough bread to eat with the hummus, soup or stew (optional)
Bulk
- 2 1/­­4 cups dried green lentils
- 3/­­4 cup millet
- 1 1/­­2 cups brown rice (2 cups if using rice for the grain bowl)
- 1 cup other grain of choice for the grain bowl, or 1/­­2 more cup of brown rice
- 5-7 Medjool dates
- 2 cups pumpkin seeds – toasted
- unsweetened coconut flakes (optional)
- cacao nibs (optional)
Pantry /­­ Refrigerator Staples
- neutral coconut oil
- apple cider vinegar
- brown rice vinegar (if not using limes for delicata marinade)
- balsamic vinegar (optional)
- tamari
- olive oil
- toasted sesame oil
- tomato paste
- coconut sugar
- sea salt
- maple syrup or honey
- sriracha/­­chili sauce of choice
- baking soda
- baking powder
Spices
- whole cumin seeds
- whole coriander seeds
- green cardamom pods
- smoked paprika
- black peppercorns
- turmeric
- red pepper flakes
- bay leaves (optional)
Day by Day Prep List
Saturday Night (Night Before Main Prep Day):
These are just quick tasks that need to be done the day before your main prep day. Soaking grains and lentils helps rid them of phytic acid, which makes them easier to digest. It also kickstarts the germination process, making the grains and lentils more nutritious.
- Soak 3/­­4 cup of dried millet overnight in plenty of purified water, with a splash of apple cider vinegar/­­lemon juice.
- Soak 2 1/­­4 cups of lentils overnight in plenty of purified water, with a splash of apple cider vinegar/­­lemon juice.
- Soak 1 1/­­2 cups of brown rice (2 cups if you are using it for the grain bowl) overnight in plenty of purified water, with a splash of apple cider vinegar/­­lemon juice.
- If not using brown rice for the grain bowl, soak 1 cup of another grain of choice for the grain bowl in plenty of purified water, with a splash of apple cider vinegar/­­lemon juice.
Sunday (Main Prep Day):
This is your main prep day, which you can also split into multiple days, depending on your schedule. You will find all the recipes for this prep day in this post, which includes two breakfast options and two lunch options for the whole week, as well as some simple prep for the dinners for the coming week.
- Roast the butternut and delicata squashes to be used in Turmeric Millet Porridge with Roasted Squash, Apple and Squash Muffins, Lentil and Squash Hummus, Simple Butternut Squash and Green Apple Soup, Veggie Burgers, and Grain Bowl.
- Cook the lentils to be used in the Lentil and Squash Hummus, Veggie Burgers, and the Brussels Sprout Tomato Stew.
- Cook the brown rice to use in the Veggie Burgers and the Grain Bowl, if that’s your grain of choice for the bowl.
- If you chose another grain for the grain bowl, cook it now as well.
- Cook the kale and coconut kale to be used in the Grain Bowl and Veggie Burgers.
- Make the Lentil and Squash Hummus to be used in the Grain Bowl, on the Veggie Burgers, and on crackers/­­bread as a snack throughout the week.
- Marinate the roasted delicata squash to use in the Grain Bowl.
- Make the Simple Butternut Squash and Apple Soup.
- Bake the Date-Sweetened Apple and Squash Muffins.
- You can also cook the Turmeric Millet Porridge with Roasted Squash for your breakfasts ahead of time, but I suggest making it in the morning. It’s pretty quick.
Monday Night:
Make the Veggie Burgers to have for dinner on Monday, Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday nights. This will be fairly quick, since you’ve already cooked the squash, rice, kale and lentils that are called for in the recipe during prep day. Roast the plums for dessert on Monday or Tuesday night, it’s quick and you will have enough for dessert for the rest of the week. The recipes for the Veggie Burgers, Brussels Sprout Stew and the Roasted Plums are in Part 2.
- Make the Brown Rice, Lentil, Kale and Squash Veggie Burgers.
- Make the Rosemary-Roasted Plums with Cardamom Sprinkle.
Wednesday/­­Thursday night:
Once you’ve finished eating the Veggie Burgers, prepare the Brussels Sprouts Stew for dinner starting Wednesday or Thursday night and until the end of the week. The recipe for the stew is in Part 2.
- Make the Brussels Sprout Tomato Stew.
Prep
1.
Winter squash is a beautifully versatile vegetable that can be used in millions of ways in both sweet and savory dishes. It’s always a great idea to roast a bunch of squash on the weekend, to use in all kinds of dishes throughout the week. In this meal plan, we use Butternut and Delicata Squashes in the Turmeric Millet Porridge with Roasted Squash, Apple and Squash Muffins, Lentil and Squash Hummus, Simple Butternut Squash and Green Apple Soup, Veggie Burgers, and Grain Bowl. See what I mean? It really is a super-vegetable.
Roasted Butternut and Delicata Squashes Print Ingredients 1 large and 1 medium butternut squash - cut in half lengthwise and seeded 2 medium delicata squashes - seeded and sliced into ½-inch rings neutral coconut oil - soft sea salt freshly ground black pepper Instructions Preheat the oven to 400° F (200° C). Prepare 2-3 parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Arrange all the squashes on the baking sheets in a single layer. Oil them with the coconut oil and sprinkle with salt and paper. Roast the delicata squash for 10 minutes, then flip all the rings and roast for another 15-20 minutes, until cooked through and golden on both sides. Delicata squash skins are edible, so no need to peel off the skin. Roast the butternut squashes at the same time, for about 40 minutes or until soft throughout. You should end up with about 3 cups of roasted mashed squash flesh from the large butternut squash, which you will use for the hummus, muffins, porridge and burgers. The remaining 1 medium butternut squash will be used for the Simple Squash and Apple Soup. 3.5.3226
2.
A pot of lentils, cooked on the weekend, can easily take you through a week of meals. They are nourishing, affordable, and can work as a base for so many meals. In this meal plan, we use French lentils in the Lentil and Squash Hummus, Veggie Burgers, and the Brussels Sprout Tomato Stew.
Pot of Lentils Print Ingredients 2¼ cups dried French lentils - soaked overnight in purified water with a splash of apple cider vinegar sea salt Instructions Drain and rinse the lentils. Place them into a medium-large pot, cover with purified water, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for about 15-20 minutes, or until soft, but still intact. Add salt at the last 5 minutes. Drain and use in recipes right away or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 3.5.3226
3.
Similarly to lentils, a pot of rice or any other grains, prepared on the weekend, can help you pave the way to quicker and better meals throughout the week. In this meal plan, we use brown rice in the Veggie Burgers and the Grain Bowl (if that’s the grain you chose for your bowl). Serve any leftover rice with the Brussels Sprout Tomato Stew. If you chose a different grain for your grain bowl, cook it now as well.
Pot of Brown Rice Print Ingredients 1½ cups brown rice (2 cups if using rice for your grain bowl) - soaked overnight in purified water with a splash of apple cider vinegar 2½ cups filtered water (3½ cups if cooking 2 cups of rice) sea salt Instructions Drain and rinse the rice. Combine it with the water and plenty of sea salt in a medium pot, cover with a lid and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 25-40 minutes, until all the water is absorbed and the rice is cooked. Use in recipes right away or store refrigerated in an air-tight container for up to 4 days. 3.5.3226
4.
Blanching kale is one of my favorite, low maintenance ways of prepping a whole bunch of it for the week. In this meal plan, it will be used for the Coconut Kale and the Veggie Burgers. I also like to use the leftover kale cooking water for soups, stews, etc. In this meal plan, you can use the leftover kale broth for the Coconut Kale, the Brussels Sprout Tomato Stew and even the Simple Squash and Apple Soup.
Half of this blanched kale gets stored away for later use in the Veggie Burgers, while the other half becomes the Coconut Kale for our grain bowl lunch. You’re going to love the coconut kale – it’s velvety, creamy, and keeps well throughout the week.
Blanched Kale and Coconut Kale Print Ingredients 2 bunches (or 1 very large bunch) kale of choice sea salt 1 can unsweetened Thai coconut milk Instructions Separate the kale leaves from the stems. Wash and tear the leaves into roughly bite-sized pieces. Reserve the stems to use in homemade vegetable broth in the future, if desired. Place the torn kale leaves in a large pot and cover with purified water. Add salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Drain the kale, reserving the cooking liquid for the Coconut Kale and the Brussels Sprouts Tomato Stew. Return half of the kale to the same pot. Squeeze the other half of the kale dry and store it away in an air-tight container, in the refrigerator, to use later in the veggie burgers. Add ½ cup of the reserved kale cooking liquid and 1 can of coconut milk to the pot. Bring to a strong simmer and cook for 10-20 minutes, until creamy. Add more of the kale cooking liquid throughout the cooking time, if needed. Taste for salt and adjust, if needed. Eat right away or store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 4 days. 3.5.3226
5.
The good news is, you already have all the important ingredients prepared for this hummus – you’ve cooked the lentils and roasted the squash, which you’re going to puree with autumn herbs, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, and olive oil. Though for efficiency’s sake, we use lentils instead of the traditional chickpeas here, the spread still very much tastes like hummus. And not just any hummus – it’s fresh, savory, earthy hummus that’s better than anything you can get at the store. Use it throughout the week in the Grain Bowl, on top of the Veggie Burgers, or as a quick snack with some crackers.
Lentil and Squash Hummus Print Ingredients ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil - divided 4-5 cloves of garlic - peeled and sliced 1-2 tablespoons chopped herbs, such as rosemary, sage and thyme 1 cup roasted mashed butternut squash (from the large butternut squash from above) sea salt freshly ground black pepper 1½ cups cooked green lentils (from above) juice from 1 lemon ¼ cup sesame tahini 3-4 tablespoons cold water toasted pumpkin seeds - for garnish (optional) Instructions Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic and herbs and sauté for about a minute, until garlic is fragrant and cooked, but not burnt. Add the squash, salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Stir around for a minute or so for the flavors to mix. Add the mixture to a food processor or a high-speed blender like a Vitamix. Add the lentils to the food processor/­­blender, followed by the lemon juice, sesame tahini, and more salt, to taste. Process until smooth, scraping the walls if needed. With the motor still running, pour in ¼ cup of the olive oil through the funnel, followed by the cold water. Pour in the water 1 tablespoon at a time until you achieve a desired, creamy consistency. Sprinkle the hummus with the toasted pumpkin seeds when serving, if using. Store the hummus in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. 3.5.3226
6.
Marinating vegetables is one of my favorite preparations, especially if I’m cooking ahead. It’s as easy as mixing up a marinade, and the veggies will only get more flavorful with each passing day. This miso-marinated delicata squash has got it all – it’s a little sweet, a little savory, and a bit spicy. It’s the perfect, powerful component to a memorable grain bowl, which is how it’s utilized in this meal plan.
If you are planning on eating this squash at work/­­social settings, you might need to be cautious with the garlic – the squash is still really good without it!
Miso-Marinated Delicata Squash Print Ingredients 2 sliced and roasted delicata squashes (from above) 2 tablespoons white sweet miso paste 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey (not vegan) 2 teaspoons chili sauce, such as sriracha 4 tablespoons brown rice vinegar or lime juice 1 tablespoon tamari 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1 garlic clove - minced (optional) 1 tablespoon finely chopped green onion (optional) Instructions Place the sliced and roasted delicata squash in a shallow dish. In a small bowl, combine the miso with the maple syrup and sriracha, and mix until smooth. Add the rice vinegar/­­lime juice, tamari, and sesame oil, and mix until smooth. Mix in the sesame seeds, garlic and green onion, if using. Pour the marinade over the delicata squash and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate at room temperature for 1-3 hours. Keep refrigerated for up to 5 days. 3.5.3226
Recipes
1.
These gluten-free muffins make for a great breakfast or snack. They are very subtly sweet – sweetened only with dates – and get their soft, crumbly texture from the roasted squash that’s hiding in the batter. There are pockets of cubed apple throughout, and the pumpkin seeds on top add a nice bit of crunch.
Date-Sweetened Apple and Squash Muffins Print Serves: 10 medium-sized or 12 small muffins Ingredients 1½ tablespoons neutral coconut oil, plus more for oiling the pan ¾ cup brown rice flour or other gluten-free flour pinch of sea salt 1 teaspoon baking powder ½ teaspoon baking soda 5-7 soft Medjool dates - pitted and soaked in 1 cup of hot water for 10 minutes ½ cup roasted mashed butternut squash (from the large butternut squash from above) 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 1-2 Granny Smith apples - peeled and finely cubed (optionally slice some of the apple to decorate the tops of muffins) 2 tablespoons chopped sage leaves (optional) pumpkin seeds - for sprinkling Instructions Preheat oven to 375° F (190° C). Prepare a muffin pan by thoroughly oiling the holes or lining it with paper muffin liners. Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Put the dates in an upright blender, together with their soaking water. Add the squash and blend until smooth. Add the coconut oil and vinegar and pulse to combine. Pour the wet mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and quickly stir to mix. Fold in cubed apples and sage, if using. Fill the muffin holes with the batter until each hole is about ⅔ full. Sprinkle each muffin with pumpkin seeds and decorate with apple slices, if using. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool a little, then remove the muffins from the pan and let them cool on a cooling rack. Enjoy right away or store in an air-tight container for up to 4 days. 3.5.3226
2.
This millet porridge is warming, cozy, satisfying, and overall perfect for chilly fall mornings. Millet is a humble and affordable gluten-free grain, but it has the potential to be quite creamy and luxurious when cooked in plant milk with turmeric and squash. The porridge is pictured here topped with some of the roasted plums from Part 2 of this meal plan, which makes it even more special.
Turmeric Millet Porridge Print Ingredients 2 tablespoons coconut oil or ghee (not vegan) 1 teaspoon turmeric a few grinds of black pepper (to activate the turmeric) ¾ cup millet - soaked overnight in purified water with a splash of apple cider vinegar 1½ tablespoons coconut sugar pinch of sea salt 4 cups almond milk or other plant milk (or 3 cups milk and 1 cup water) - divided 1 cup roasted butternut squash (from the large butternut squash from above) toasted pumpkin seeds and coconut flakes - for serving (optional) Instructions Warm the oil/­­ghee in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the turmeric and black pepper, and stir around for about a minute. Add the millet, coconut sugar, salt and 3 cups of plant milk (or 2 cups of milk and 1 cup of water). Bring to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer and cook, covered, for 20 minutes. Stir periodically to prevent the porridge from sticking to the bottom. In the meantime, blend the squash and the remaining 1 cup of plant milk in a high-speed blender. Mix the blended mixture into the porridge after the 20 minutes of cooking and stir to combine. Simmer everything for another couple of minutes. (Alternatively, skip blending the squash and the remaining plant milk in a blender and add both the squash and the rest of the milk to the porridge, stirring to warm everything through. This will result in a less smooth porridge with some pockets of squash, which I like as a nice change from a smooth porridge). Serve the porridge topped with toasted pumpkin seeds and coconut flakes, if desired. Store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days. Reheat gently over medium low heat with more ghee/­­coconut oil and a splash of plant milk or water. 3.5.3226
3.
This grain bowl will come together very quickly during a weekday lunch, since you’ve already gotten all the components ready during prep day. As an alternative to the bowl, you can spread the hummus on some sourdough bread and top that with the squash for an open-faced sandwich, with the coconut kale on the side.
Marinated Delicata Squash, Coconut Kale, and Lentil Hummus Grain Bowl Print Ingredients cooked brown rice or another grain of choice (from above) coconut kale (from above) miso-marinated delicata squash (from above) lentil and squash hummus (from above) toasted pumpkin seeds Instructions Heat up the rice and coconut kale in a pan or saucepan with a bit of oil or water. You can also gently heat the miso-marinated squash, but be careful not to heat it too much because of the miso. Serve all the components together in a bowl, sprinkled with toasted pumpkin seeds. 3.5.3226
4.
Our second lunch option is a very lovely and very simple pureed fall soup, with flavors of butternut squash, green apple, and autumn herbs.
Simple Butternut Squash and Apple Soup Print Ingredients 1 tablespoon neutral coconut oil 1 large yellow onion - chopped 1 green apple - peeled, cored and chopped 2 garlic cloves - sliced 1 teaspoon coriander seeds - preferably freshly ground about 1 tablespoon chopped sage and rosemary sea salt freshly ground black pepper flesh from 1 medium roasted butternut squash (from above) Instructions Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, apple, garlic, coriander and herbs, if using, and sauté everything for 10 minutes. Scoop the flesh out of the roasted squash and add it to the saucepan, followed by the sea salt, pepper and 3 cups of purified water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes, until all the flavors are combined well. Carefully blend everything in an upright blender until smooth. Taste for salt and adjust if needed. Serve right away or store in an airtight container for up to 5 days. 3.5.3226
Continue to Dinner and Dessert Recipes > > >
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Plant-Based Summer Meal Plan, Part 2
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The post Plant-Based Fall Meal Plan, Part 1 appeared first on Golubka Kitchen.

Here comes Part 2 of our Plant-Based Summer meal plan, which we created in hopes of helping some of you get more plants into your life on a day-to-day basis. We aimed for efficiency, but also tried to come up with recipes that are inspired and delicious. Part 2 focuses on dinner and dessert only. There are tacos and fajitas, as well as a juicy fruit crisp. To see the breakfast and lunch recipes, as well as the grocery shopping list for the entire meal plan, head to Part 1.
If you use this meal plan, we would appreciate your feedback a whole lot. Tell us which parts were useful and where we could improve. These meal plans are a ton of fun to come up with, but they are also a ton of work, so we want to make sure that we are putting our energy into something that’s practical to you. Providing that everything goes well, we’ll come out with the next meal plan in the fall. Until then, we are back to our regular schedule of two recipe posts a week :)
Menu
(see Part 1 for breakfast and lunch recipes)
Breakfast
Almond Pulp Lime Ginger Granola
Overnight Berry Chia Oats
Lunch
Loaded Veggie Chickpea Salad
Basil Zucchini Chowder
Dinner
Cauliflower Chickpea Fajitas
Zucchini Kimchi Tacos
Dessert
Peach and Blackberry Crisp
*all recipes are vegan and gluten-free and will make enough for a week, for 2-3 people
Day by Day Prep List
Monday Night:
Make the fajitas to have for dinner on Monday, Tuesday, and possibly Wednesday nights. This will be fairly quick, since you already prepped the vegetables and spice blend during prep day. Bake the crumble for dessert on Monday or Tuesday night, it’s quick and you will have enough for dessert for the rest of the week.
- Make the Cauliflower Chickpea Fajitas
- Bake the Crisp (+ second batch of almond milk if you didnt make it on prep day)
Wednesday/­­Thursday night:
Once you’ve finished eating the fajitas, prepare the Kimchi Zucchini Tacos for dinner starting Wednesday or Thursday night and until the end of the week. They are a very quick, weeknight-friendly dish. These tacos would also work well as a lunch, if you need a break from the soup and salad.
- Make the Zucchini Kimchi Tacos
Recipes
1.
These fajitas make for a very satisfying dinner, and they taste like the real deal, too. They utilize the chickpeas and half of the cauliflower, left over from Part 1, as well as the piquant fajita spice. When wrapped in a tortilla, the spicy onions and peppers, meaty portobello wedges, caramelized cauliflower, and chickpeas make up the perfect pocket of flavor, especially when finished off with all the fixings.
Cauliflower Chickpea Fajitas Print Ingredients 4 tablespoons neutral coconut oil 1 cup cooked chickpeas (from part 1) fajita spice mix - (recipe in part 1) ½ cauliflower - cut into florets (left over from part 1) juice of 2-3 limes - divided 1 large red onion - chopped 1 red, yellow or orange bell pepper - seeded and sliced 1 green bell pepper - seeded and sliced 1 poblano or jalapeno pepper - seeded and sliced 2 portobello mushrooms - sliced tortillas of choice (corn for gf) 1 avocado - sliced, for serving cilantro - for serving vegan sour cream or yogurt - for serving (optional) Instructions Warm 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a large cast iron pan over medium heat. Add the chickpeas, sprinkle with the fajita spice and sauté until golden. Remove the chickpeas from the pan and set aside. Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, add the cauliflower florets in a single layer, sprinkle with the fajita spice and cook for about 3 minutes, until the underside is golden. Flip the florets, sprinkle with more of the fajita spice and cook for another 3 minutes or until the other side is golden. Pour the juice of ½-1 lime over florets and cook until it evaporates, stirring. Remove the cauliflower from the pan and set it aside. Add one more tablespoon of the oil to the pan, followed by the onion and all the peppers. Sprinkle with the fajita spice and sauté for about 8 minutes, until the onion the vegetables are soft and golden in places. Pour the juice of 1 lime over the vegetables and stir them around until it evaporates. Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and add another tablespoon of the oil to the emptied space. Add the mushrooms in a single layer, sprinkle with the fajita spice and let them cook for about 3 minutes, until the underside is golden. Flip the mushroom slices, sprinkle with more of the fajita spice and cook for another 3 minutes, or until the other side is golden as well. Pour the juice of ½-1 lime over the mushrooms and stir around until evaporates. Stir the onion-pepper mixture into the mushrooms and turn off the heat. Warm the tortillas, if desired, and keep them wrapped in a kitchen towel. To serve, place a few pieces of the cauliflower in the middle of the tortilla, followed by a small handful of the pepper and mushroom mixture and some chickpeas. Top with avocado slices, cilantro leaves and sour-cream, if using. Repeat with the other tortillas, as you go, and enjoy. 3.5.3226
2.
These tacos are incredibly easy to make, but mindblowingly good despite that fact. I make them at least once a week in the summer, for a reliable, no brainer-style dinner. The kimchi basically does all the work for you here, infusing the zucchini and carrots with its powerful flavor, while the creamy avocado and cilantro bring on the perfect finishing touch.
Zucchini Kimchi Tacos Print Ingredients 1 tablespoon neutral coconut oil 1 small to medium carrot - shaved 2-3 small to medium zucchini - spiralized or julienned about 1 cup kimchi, or more to taste ½ cup cooked chickpeas (from part 1, optional) 1 avocado - cubed handful cilantro leaves - for serving tortillas of choice (corn for gluten-free) - for serving Instructions Warm the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the carrot and zucchini and sauté for a couple of minutes, until they are just beginning to soften. Remove the pan from the heat, add the kimchi and chickpeas, if using, and toss to mix. Warm up the tortillas, if desired, and serve the zucchini-kimchi mixture inside the tortillas, topped with the cubed avocado and cilantro. 3.5.3226
3.
A fruit crisp is one of the easiest desserts to make, especially in the summer, when so many fruits and berries are at the peak of their flavor. This recipe utilizes the almond pulp, left over from making almond milk, for the crisp topping, leaving no part of the almond behind! Feel free to use any other fruit or berries for this recipe, just make sure to adjust the sweetener if you have a fruit that’s less sweet, like plums.
Peach and Blackberry Crisp Print Ingredients for the filling 1 tablespoon neutral coconut oil 3 ripe peaches - sliced 1 cup blackberries freshly squeezed juice from ½ lemon 2 tablespoons coconut sugar or maple syrup splash of vanilla extract (optional) ½ tablespoon arrowroot powder (optional) for the topping 1 cup almond pulp (left over from making nut milk in part 1) 1 cup rolled oats sea salt ¼ cup chopped almonds, walnuts or other nuts of choice ¼ cup maple syrup ¼ cup coconut oil - soft Instructions Preheat the oven to 375° F (190° C). Oil a medium-sized baking dish or a 9-10-inch cast-iron pan and combine the rest of the filling ingredients in the pan. Toss to mix. Combine all the topping ingredients in a medium bowl and mix thoroughly with your hands. Sprinkle over the filling. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Cover with parchment paper and bake for 10 more minutes, until the fruit is bubbly and the topping is golden. Enjoy right away with vanilla ice cream, if desired. Store in the refrigerator. 3.5.3226
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One of the first recipes we posted on the blog was baked herb & pistachio falafels. That was back in the days when we didn’t have three monsters tearing down the house. When I still had an old-fashioned job. And when baking a falafel instead of deep-frying it felt like a fresh new idea. Elsa once asked me if grandma’s older sister was alive when the dinosaurs lived on earth. I told her no (while simultaneously typing a message with a ton of dinosaur emojis to my mom). That is roughly how long ago that falafel recipe feels like. Dinosaur age. So much has happened since then.
I still think it’s a good recipe and today’s falafel recipe has much of the same qualities. They are simple, baked, packed with fresh herbs and hold together excellently. If you don’t serve it with the mint yogurt, it is also vegan. We subbed the pistachios with some pumpkin seeds/­­pepitas this time and replaced half of the chickpeas with green peas to make them more suited for spring. It also gives them a slightly sweet tone and less dry than your average falafel (which is one of our favorite features with this recipe). We serve them in a bowl with roasted carrots, cinnamon spiked quinoa, beetroot hummus and a splash of mint yogurt instead of wrapping them up in lettuce or bread. We think of it as a spring-y Moroccan falafel bowl. I won’t claim that this is a dead-simple recipe (as it involves cooking, mixing and baking), but I at least find it comforting that the carrots, beetroot and falafels all are baked simultaneously in the oven.
Before we jump to the recipe, we wanted to share the updated schedule for our little Green Kitchen At Home US book tour. And also this short video about the book that we did the other day.
As we mentioned in our last post, we are coming to the US next week for some press activities. Both Luise and I will be in New York and then I’ll continue on my own to SF and LA. We are only doing a few public events and are very much hoping to see some of you there.
New York > 1 May
Our cooking class at Sur La Table is sold out but we will have a mingle, book signing and Q&A at CAP Beauty on 1 May, 7 pm. Entrance is free, you get to try some tasters from the book and we’ll both be there to chat. All you need to do is RSVP here.
San Francisco & Los Angeles > 3-5 May
I’ll be at Credo Beauty in San Francisco on 3 May, 2-4 pm, signing books and chatting with you all about food, photography, kids and whatnot. I will also be doing the same in their Los Angeles store on 4 May, 5-7 pm. Free entrance, just RSVP to both events here.
I’ll also be teaching a hands-on cooking class at Sur La Table in Los Angeles. There are still a few tickets available - so go get them here!
For those of you who’s been asking, we will also be coming to London in June and Amsterdam after the summer. Enough about that. Let’s start cooking!
Recipe notes
o Falafel purists use soaked chickpeas instead of cooked. Cooked is however much quicker and works just fine. We also find that it’s easier on our digestion.
o You don’t have to roast the beetroot for the hummus but can simply grate raw beetroot before mixing it. But since we’re using the oven anyway for the other parts of the bowl, we roast them to give the hummus a rounder flavor.
Green Pea Falafel Bowl
Serves 4
Falafels
1 cup /­­ 150 g green peas, fresh or frozen (thawed)
1 cup /­­ 150 g cooked chickpeas
2 small shallots, peeled and coarsely chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp buckwheat flour or potato starch
1/­­2 tsp baking powder
3 stalks fresh mint, leaves picked
3 stalks parsley, stems discarded
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp flaky sea salt
1-2 tbsp olive oil
Beetroot Hummus
200 g raw beetroots
1 cup /­­ 150 g cooked white beans
3 tbsp light tahini (sesame paste)
4 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
1 tsp ground cumin
1 clove garlic, peeled
1 tsp flaky sea salt
Cinnamon Quinoa
1 cup uncooked Quinoa
pinch flaky sea salt
1/­­2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 small handfull raisins (we used green raisins with a smoky flavor)
To serve
4 carrots, peeled and cut into thick sticks (bake together with the beetroot)
2 avocados, sliced
4 handfuls mache lettuce
1/­­2 cucumber, sliced
12 radishes, sliced
1 cup plain yogurt
a bunch fresh mint leaves, chopped
a handful toasted almonds, chopped
sesame seeds
Preheat the oven to 200°C /­­ 400°F fan mode (this is because we’re doing two plates simultaneously).
Add all falafel ingredients (except the oil) to a food processor and pulse until mixed but not pureed. With moist hands, shape 16 mini falafel patties (roughly 1 generous tablespoon per falafel). Pour a little olive oil into the palm of your hand and then place each falafel in it, smoothing out the falafel and at the same time coating it in oil. Refill with oil for every fourth falafel. Place them on a baking tray covered with baking paper. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, turning them after half the time.
Peel the beets and cut in quarters. Place on a baking tray together with the prepared carrots (from the To serve list) and place in the oven (this can be done simultaneously as the falafel tray) for about 20 minutes or until baked through and soft. Let cool slightly and then place the beets (set the the carrots aside for serving) in a food processor (or bowl if using a stick blender) with the rest of the ingredients and mix for at least 2 minutes until very smooth. Taste and adjust the flavors to you liking.
Prepare the quinoa while the vegetables are in the oven: Place rinsed quinoa in a saucepan, add 2 cups water, salt and cinnamon and bring to a boil. Lower the heat immediately and simmer for about 12-15 minutes. Stir in raisins and set aside.
Stir together yogurt and a handful chopped mint leaves, set aside.
Arrange all serving ingredients in bowls and top with beetroot hummus, quinoa and pea falafels. Sprinkle with almonds, sesame seeds and mint. Enjoy!
PS! If you have already received our new book through online orders, we’d be super grateful if you could leave a short review of it on Amazon. Thank you!

Here is a dinner suggestion in case you are looking for a new recipe to try over the weekend. We first made this stew for lunch a few days ago. I’ll admit that it was slightly over-ambitious as a lunch project, but it did tick all the right boxes for a late november meal and we are pretty sure it is something you will appreciate as well. Both Luise and I are obsessed with Moroccan flavors. Our approach is rarely strictly traditional, we usually just throw a whole bunch of Moroccan-ish ingredients, like mint + cinnamon + cumin + raisins + pomegranate seeds + lemon + almonds into the same dish and then blindly call it Moroccan. That is also what we have done with this Aubergine & Chickpea Stew. It is a little bit like a winter version of our (favorite) Moroccan salad recipe from Green Kitchen Travels. It’s warm and comfy with large chunks of slow-cooked aubergine, super flavorful with sweetness from cinnamon, saffron and raisins, has crunchy toasted almonds on top and freshness from mint, yogurt and pomegranate seeds. If you skip the yogurt on top, it’s also entirely vegan. We have had it for lunch and dinner three times this week and we are still not tired of it. Ok, maybe just a tiny bit. Especially Elsa. She always tells us that “we are the worst parents ever” whenever we serve repeat-meals and photo shoot leftovers for dinner.
Saffron is actually used as a Christmas spice in Sweden, so in case you are looking for an untraditional Christmas dinner, I think this would be a pretty great option. Especially with those pretty jewel-like pomegranate seeds on top. Our recipe is perfect for 4 persons but it can easily be doubled if you are cooking for a crowd, just use a large saucepan.
In case you haven’t cooked with millet before, it is time to add it to your repertoire. It is a gluten free seed that is soft and flavourful and works perfectly as an alternative to couscous or bulgur. It also has a comfortably short cooking time.
Moroccan Aubergine & Chickpea Stew
Serves 4
2 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil
2 onions, peeled
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1 large chunk fresh ginger
1 aubergine
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
1/­­2 tsp ground paprika
1 tsp sea salt
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 x 14 oz /­­ 400 g tin crushed tomatoes
3 cups vegetable stock
1/­­4 tsp /­­ 0,5 g crushed saffron or approx. 6 saffron threads
1 x 14 oz /­­ 400 g tin chickpeas /­­ garbanzo beans (or 200 g cooked chickpeas)
3/­­4 cup /­­ 100 g yellow or brown raisins
1 lemon, zest (save the rest of the lemon for the salad)
Cooked Millet
1 cup /­­ 200 g uncooked millet
2 cups /­­ 500 ml water
1/­­2 tsp sea salt
Lemon, Avocado & Herb Salad
2 large ripe avocados, cut in half, destoned and flesh scooped out
1 large handful flat-leaf parsley (or coriander/­­cilantro), coarsely chopped
1 large handful mint leaves, coarsely chopped
1 lemon, juice
2 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
sea salt & ground pepper
To Serve
1/­­2 cup /­­ 75 g toasted almonds*, coarsely chopped
1/­­2 pomegranate, seeds
1/­­2 cup /­­ 120 ml Turkish yogurt (optional)
Add oil to a large saucepan on medium heat. Cut the first onion in large chunks and the second one finely along with the garlic and ginger. Add them all to the saucepan and let sauté for about 10 minutes or until soft. Meanwhile cut the aubergine into bite-size chunks. Add it to the pan along with all the spices and tomato paste. Let fry for 5-6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add a splash of water or oil in case the spices begin to burn against the bottom of the pan. Then add the crushed tomatoes, 2 cups of the vegetable stock and the saffron, stir around until it boils and then lower the heat. Put a lid on the sauce pan and let slowly simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the chickpeas, 1/­­2 cup of the raisins and the last of the stock (if it looks like it’s needed) and let simmer for 15 minutes more or until the aubergines are soft and tender, stir in the lemon zest right at the end of the cooking. Meanwhile, add the millet to a medium-sized sauce pan and dry-toast on low heat for 2-3 minutes, then add water and salt, increase the heat and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for about 8-9 minutes. Take it off the heat and let sit for a few minutes to absorb all the water. Add the remaining raisins and use a fork to integrate the raisins and fluff the millet. Prepare the salad by cutting the avocado into chunks, coarsely chopping the herbs and placing them in a bowl along with the pomegranate seeds. Whisk together lemon juice, oil, salt and pepper, add it to the bowl and toss. Serve in bowls with the stew scooped on top of the millet, the salad on the side and almonds, pomegranate seeds and yogurt on top. Enjoy!
* We toast almonds by soaking raw almonds in heavily salted water for 20 minutes and then draining the water and roasting/­­toasting them in the oven on 300°F /­­ 150°C for 20 minutes. But you can also toast them in a pan. Or simply use store-bought dry-roasted almonds.

A bit on the state of things around here -
The kitchen renovations have been put off until October, and all I can say is that I’m very relieved. I knew that gutting the kitchen right after submitting the cookbook manuscript would be chaotic, but when it actually came down to it, I felt even more unprepared and exhausted than I ever expected. Not to mention, I still have a list of recipes to perfect for the book, which requires a fully working kitchen. Thankfully, our contractor – the only good one we could find after months of meetings and unreturned calls (because sometimes people in Florida are too chill) – is booked up two months in advance. A blessing in disguise, if I ever saw one. Among other things, I’m finding it painfully difficult to choose tile for the kitchen floor (Moroccan? Spanish? Mosaic? Forget the tile and do hard-wood?) and I’m really welcoming this extra time for making a decision.
I am still working on the staircase leading up to the kitchen, and if you follow us on snapchat (golubkakitchen), you’ve likely seen some snaps of that whole process. The stairs were covered in bad carpet by previous owners, and finally stripping off that dust magnet of a surface felt great. Re-finishing the wooden stairs underneath, however was a huge pain, and re-awakened my carpal tunnel, which started when I was working in the dental field. But at least the stairs are looking great.
Paloma goes back to school mid-August and turns eight around the same time too. We’re looking for a Beatles-related present (girl has serious Beatlemania), and the birthday cake will be an ice cream cake, which I will hopefully share here one of the coming Sundays.
I recently promised to do more salad posts, and since we are getting into the hottest part of the summer, salads are the key item at any given meal around these parts. And this Caesar, you guys! I’ve already made it several times since coming up with the entirely vegan Caesar dressing. The dressing is everything you want your salad leaves drenched in (and you will want to drench with this one, not just drizzle) – it’s garlicky, creamy and incredibly savory.
I aimed for a salad that can be eaten as a main course, and besides the addition of protein-rich beans in the dressing, there are crispy, golden tempeh ‘croutons’ that will fill you up nicely. Grilled peaches and corn contribute perfect little pockets of juice and sweetness here, and Laura’s pine nut parm is optional but very addictive. This Caesar is also easily adaptable to other seasons – instead of the peaches and corn, include roasted squash in the fall/­­winter, asparagus/­­peas in the spring, etc., etc.
It’s August! Take it easy and enjoy this last stretch of summer, perhaps even with some hearty Caesar in tow ;)
Vegan Caesar Salad with Tempeh Croutons, Roasted Peaches and Corn Print Serves: 6 Ingredients for the Caesar dressing 1 cup cooked white beans, plus cooking liquid/­­liquid from can to achieve desired dressing consistency 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ tablespoon Dijon mustard ½ tablespoon vegan Worcestershire sauce 1 teaspoon capers ½ teaspoon maple syrup ¼ teaspoon sriracha 1 garlic clove sea salt - to taste freshly ground black pepper - to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil for the salad 4-6 corn ears 2 tablespoons neutral coconut oil - divided freshly ground black pepper - to taste 3-6 ripe, sweet peaches - cut in half 1 package tempeh - cubed 1 medium bunch kale - stems removed, leaves cut into bite-sized pieces ½ tablespoon olive oil sea salt - to taste 1 small head Romaine lettuce - torn into bite-size pieces pine nut Parmesan - optional Instructions to make the dressing Combine all the ingredients, with the exception of the cooking liquid and olive oil in an upright blender. Blend until smooth, adding in cooking liquid as needed to achieve the desired creamy salad dressing consistency. Add olive oil with the motor still running. to make the salad Rub corn ears with 1 tablespon coconut oil, salt and black pepper and grill on an outdoor grill or under the broiler, watching and rotating the corn, until charred in places. Let cool slightly and cut kernels off the ears, set aside. Grill peaches on an outdoor grill or under the broiler until charred. Let cool and slice into wedges. Set aside. Warm the remaining 1 tablespoon of coconut oil in a medium pan. Add tempeh cubes, sprinkle with salt and fry until golden and crispy. Set aside. Place kale in a large mixing bowl, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt, and massage until wilted. Add in torn Romaine lettuce. Pour the dressing over the greens and toss to coat. Distribute between bowls or plates, top with corn kernels, peach slices, tempeh croutons and sprinkle with pine nut Parmesan, if using. 3.5.3208
You might also like...
Smoky Summer Vegetable Tangle
Roasted Pepper Lasagna
Baby Spinach and Strawberry Salad with Pink Dressing
No Noodle Pad Thai
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Its pretty clear how Im handling winter this year: lots of big, bold, spicy food. Chili, saffron, ginger, and paprika are on heavy rotation these days, and Im surviving cold days with hot meals infused with far-away flavours.
The inspiration for this dish came from harira, a spicy Moroccan and Algerian soup that is traditionally eaten during Ramadan. I made it a lot when I first went vegetarian, about 16 years ago, but after adding several more recipes to my repertoire, kind of forgot about it. In the interest of internally thawing out my bod, I thought I would dust off this old favourite and give it a couple updates.
Youll often see a lot of harira recipes calling for rice or pasta, but I wanted to go the grain-free route on this one, so I pulled out my trusty spiralizer and make noodles out of sweet potatoes! As much as I love raw noodles like spiralized zucchini and beet and carrot, lets face it: beyond their appearance, they arent fooling anyone into believing they are pasta. But something really amazing happens when you cook vegetable noodles just a little bit - they actually become rather tender, yielding, and able to absorb other flavours. Sweet potato noodles are definitely a favourite of mine, especially in cooked dishes like this one. They add great texture, and of course, noodle-free oodles of nutrients (try saying that five times).
You dont have to soak the lentils for this dish, but it will cook faster it you do, plus the lentils themselves will be far more digestible. And of course you can use canned chickpeas instead of cooking them from dried, but because you wont be blending them up (into hummus, for instance) I promise its worth the effort for not-totally-mushy results. If youve never tried cooking your own chickpeas from scratch, maybe now is the time to take the plunge! Youll never go back, I promise.
Print recipe
Spicy Chickpea & Sweet Potato Noodle Soup
Serves 4-6
1 Tbsp. coconut oil or ghee
2 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. caraway seeds
1 tsp. hot smoked paprika
1/­­2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/­­2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 pinch saffron (about 40 threads) soaked in 2 Tbsp. hot water
3 medium onions
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt
14 oz /­­ 400ml canned whole tomatoes
6oz /­­ 170g tomato paste (1 small can)
1 1/­­2 cup dried chickpeas OR 3 cups /­­ 500g cooked chickpeas (about 2 cans)
1 cup dried lentils, soaked overnight if possible
1 medium sweet potato
3 slices lemon
5 cups water
1/­­2 cup /­­ 20g cilantro, leaves and tender stems only, plus more for garnish
1/­­2 cup /­­ 20g flat-leaf parsley, leaves and tender stems only, plus more for garnish
sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
cold-pressed olive oil and lemon wedges for serving
Directions:
1. If using dried chickpeas, soak them in pure water overnight with an acidic medium, such as apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. The next morning, drain and rinse. Place in a large stockpot, cover with fresh water, bring to a boil and simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. About 30 minutes into cooking, add about a tablespoon of salt. Drain and rinse.
2. Place saffron threads in a small cup with about 2 tablespoons of recently-boiled water. Let steep for 10-15 minutes.
3. Peel and dice onions. Heat coconut oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add the turmeric, ginger, caraway, paprika, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to blend, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Lower the heat to medium, add onions and salt, stir to coat. Cook until translucent and slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes (add a little water to the pot if it becomes dry). Add the steeped saffron liquid, the canned tomatoes (break up any large pieces), tomato paste, chickpeas, lentils, lemon slices and water. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cook covered until the lentils are tender, 15-25 minutes depending on whether or not you soaked them.
4. While the soup is cooking, make the sweet potato noodles. Scrub the sweet potato well under running water if it is organic, and peel it if it is not. Spiralize the potato if you have a spiralizer, or use a julienne peeler to create long, thin noodle-like strips. Wash the herbs well, spin dry and roughly chop, removing any tough stems.
5. Add the sweet potato noodles and herbs to the pot, stir to incorporate and let simmer for 5 minutes. Season to taste.
6. Ladle out desired amount of hot soup into bowls. Drizzle each serving generously with olive oil and top with more herbs. Serve with a wedge of lemon, and enjoy.
In other news, I’ve added two new recipes to the My New Roots App! If you’re craving a little more in the way of raw, juicy sunshine, here are two brand-new and exclusive smoothie bowls for your pleasure: the Zippy Zucchini Smoothie Bowl and the Plum Dandy Smoothie Bowl. If you have the app already simply update it, and if you don’t, you can download it here.
And this week I’m in Sri Lanka, all thanks to Cinnamon Hotels for kidnapping me from the icy cold and transporting to me to a tropical paradise full of exotic fruits, cerulean 29° ocean water, and annoyingly perfect palm-tree-sunset-white-sand-beach situations. If you don’t want to be jealous, you should probably avoid my Instagram, okay?
Stay cozy out there!
xo, Sarah B
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When the autumn chill sets in and it gets dark early, theres nothing more comforting than a warming bowl of soup or stew filled with harvest vegetables. This selection of 12 vegan fall soups and stews feature potatoes and sweet potatoes, harder squashes, corn, greens, and more -- nicely spiced and aromatic. Some of these recipes are longer-cooking than late summer soups, but none are at all difficult to make. Make a big pot on the weekend and enjoy leftovers when you come home from work on Monday and Tuesday. These soups are great to pack into a Thermos to take to work or school, too. Moroccan-Style Vegetable Stew, above, looks as good as it tastes. Its a wonderful way to warm up cool season dinners, with sweet sugar pumpkin or butternut squash in an aromatic broth.
Nourishing and sublimely satisfying, Curried Red Lentil Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Greens incorporates falls first sweet potatoes with seasonal greens. Red lentils, which cook to a warm golden color, are available in natural food stores and ethnic groceries.
Another bountiful bowlful based on red lentils, Curried Red Lentil, Pumpkin, and Cauliflower Soup. Adding a couple of cups of pumpkin or butternut squash puree adds to the orange-y goodness of this soup
Potato, Corn, and Green Chile Soup is a nondairy version of a contemporary classic from the American Southwest. Its filling, so it can serve as a centerpiece of a meal, served with a salad or salad-y wraps.
Miso Soup with Sweet Potatoes and Greens (choose from spinach, arugula, watercress, or tatsoi) synergize nicely in this miso soup. This one’s a little lighter than most of the soups and stews on this list, but not at all less satisfying.
In Kale, Yellow Squash, and Sweet Potato Stew, the deep greens contrasted with the yellow of the squash and the orange of the sweet potato, makes for an attractive and nourishing dish for the autumn harvest.
Squash, Sweet Potato, and Corn Chowder is a hearty soup thats especially perfect for fall. Though this admittedly involves a bit of prep, none of it is difficult. Its a great soup to make on a quiet Sunday -- youll be happy to come home to it during the week!
Broccoli-Apple Soup with Cashew or Peanut Butter is luscious and nutty with an almost undetectable hint of mellow sweetness from the apple; nut butter gives it a rich flavor. In my home, this has long been a fall favorite.
Almond-Brussels Sprouts Soup is elegant and richly flavored, featuring brussels sprouts and a myriad of other veggies. You can use cashew butter or peanut butter in place of almond butter for equally delectable results.
In this luscious Creamy Golden Potato-Squash Soup, onions, garlic, winter squash, and silken tofu are all enveloped in the familiar flavor of potatoes, making it a wonderful vehicle for getting a lot of nourishing ingredients into eaters of all ages.
Though beet borscht is often eaten cold, the addition of potatoes creates a more robust version for fall in this Hot Potato and Beet Borscht. Unless you are fond of grating, doing so in a food processor makes the job much easier.
African-Inspired Quinoa-Peanut Stew has several elements of a certain style of traditional African soups--chiles, sweet potato, and a creamy peanut base. The grain of choice in an African soup like this would likely be millet, but here, quinoa makes for a delightful fusion.

This recipe is from the the Braxted Park Cookery School. They have just launched a Vegetarian Cookery Class – so get signed up!
This recipe is for a lovely colourful dip with a satisfying salty and savoury balance. The hummus is best accompanied with a spicy onion stuffed Moroccan flatbread and a salad. Use an everyday extra virgin olive oil. It is important you chose one you have tasted and enjoyed before as the flavour of the oil is an important part of the hummus.
Ingredients
220g Cooked Chickpeas
1/­­4 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
1/­­2 bulb Garlic
1 Garlic clove, crushed to a pulp with a pinch of salt
4 Piquillo Peppers
1 Lemon
40-50 mls Extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for roasting the garlic
Malden Salt to taste
50g Pitted Nicoise or Kalamata Olives
Method
Preheat Oven to 200C.
Drizzle a little olive oil over the 1/­­2 garlic bulb and loosely wrap in tin foil, put in the pre heated oven and roast until the flesh is soft.
Put the chickpeas, black pepper, crushed fresh garlic clove, piquillos, juice of the lemon, the 40mls of extra virgin olive oil and a very generous pinch of salt into a processor; using a serrated knife slice off the root end of the roasted garlic and squeeze the soft pulp in, process everything into a smooth-ish paste.
Drop in the olives and pulse it once, just long enough to incorporate and chop them a little.
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, using salt, pepper, lemon juice or more extra virgin olive oil. It can be eaten immediately but as the flavours develop over 1 or 2 days it gets better.

When I first heard that Laura Wright was writing a cookbook about two years ago, I began a very impatient wait for a book that I knew would become very important to me, as well as a staple in my kitchen. Now that the wait is finally over, I truly haven’t been able to stop cooking from this masterpiece of a book, and it has exceeded all of my very high expectations. Every time I set out to read Laura’s blog, The First Mess, I know that I will be walking away with a smile, as well as inspired to cook something bright, comforting and nourishing to the core. Laura’s writing style is so uniquely heartwarming and honest, like being in a conversation with a dear old friend, and that tone is very much echoed in the very well-considered, homey recipes and beautiful photography in The First Mess cookbook. All of the recipes in the book are vegan and whole food/­­vegetable/­­fruit-forward, but more importantly, they are delicious, unique yet somehow familiar, considerate of time, and made with accessible ingredients. The book is for absolutely everyone, whether vegan, vegetarian, omnivore, health-conscious or not, and it will get you excited to cook. This all-inclusiveness and approachability is so hard to achieve with a plant-based cookbook, but that is Laura’s genius.
Ever since receiving my copy a few weeks ago, I’ve been floating on a cloud of cooking inspiration, and I’ve already made the French Onion Lentil Pots, Roasted Chili Basil Lime Tofu Bowls, Mustard-Roasted Broccoli Paté, Lazy Steel Cut Oatmeal, Fudgy Nut and Seed Butter Brownies (twice), plus the two recipes in this post, all to insanely good results. I chose to feature the Moroccan Stew recipe here, since I think it really captures the essence of Laura’s cooking. The stew comes together quickly, with pantry and grocery store staples, yet it tastes completely new and luxurious. Plus, it’s a great recipe to make during this seasonal produce limbo that we are in right now. Of course, I couldn’t choose just one recipe to post, so I made the Sunshine Everything Crackers to snack on as well. They are so addictive! As well as gluten-free, colored golden with turmeric, and they taste like better, healthier cheez-its/­­goldfish crackers. We plowed through them in a few days, and they made for an excellent lunchbox snack for the kid, too.
The First Mess cookbook comes out on March 7th, but you can preorder it now to save a few bucks and to receive the delicious-looking bonus recipe bundle that Laura created for preorder customers.
G I V E A W A Y /­­/­­ We are giving away one copy of The First Mess cookbook. To enter, leave a comment here telling us about your go-to recipe for this transitional time of year, or your favorite recipe from The First Mess blog until next Wednesday, March 8th, 2017. Giveaway is for U.S. and Canada only.
Reprinted from The First Mess Cookbook by arrangement with Avery Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, A Penguin Random House Company. Copyright (C) 2017, Laura Wright.
Sunshine Everything Crackers Print Serves: about 60 1-inch (2.5 cm) crackers Ingredients 1 cup (250 ml) chickpea flour 1 cup (250 ml) gluten-free oat flour 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast 1 teaspoon fine sea salt 2 teaspoons garlic powder 1 teaspoon ground turmeric pinch of cayenne pepper (optional) ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons sunflower oil (I used neutral coconut oil) ¼ cup filtered water, plus extra if necessary ¼ cup mixed raw seeds (I used flax, hemp, sesame) Instructions Preheat oven to 350° F (180° C). In the bowl of a food processor, combine the chickpea flour, oat flour, nutritional yeast, sea salt, garlic powder, ground turmeric, cayenne pepper, if using, and oil. Pulse the machine to get everything lightly mixed. Mix on high until you have a wet and uniform crumbly mixture. With the food processor on low, slowly pour the filtered water through the feed tube of the food processor. The cracker dough should start to form a large ball. If the ball isnt forming, add more water by the teaspoon through the feed tube. Open the lid of the food processor and add the mixed seeds. Pulse the dough a couple of times to distribute the seeds. Lay a sheet of parchment paper, about the size of a large baking sheet, on the counter. Dump the cracker dough onto the parchment and flatten it a bit with your hands. Lay another sheet of parchment paper on top of the dough. With a rolling pin, evenly roll the cracker dough out to roughly an ⅛ inch (3mm) thickness. Remove the top sheet of parchment paper. Carefully transfer the parchment with the rolled-out cracker dough to a large baking sheet. With a knife, score the cracker dough into a gird, forming 1-inch (2.5 cm) square crackers. Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake until the edges of the crackers have browned slightly, about 20 minutes. Let the crackers cool completely before storing in a sealed container. The crackers will keep for about 5 days. 3.5.3226
Moroccan Stew Print Serves: 6 Ingredients 2 teaspoons coconut oil 1 medium yellow onion - small dice 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground cumin 2 teaspoons ground coriander ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes (optional) 2 cloves garlic - minced 3 to 4 Medjool dates - pitted and chopped 2 carrots - chopped into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces 1 large sweet potato - peeled and chopped into ½-inch (1 cm) pieces salt and pepper - to taste 1 can (28 ounces/­­769 ml) crushed tomatoes 3 to 4 cups (750 ml to 1 L) vegetable stock 1 yellow bell pepper - stemmed and chopped into ½-inch (1 cm pieces) 2 cups (500 ml) cooked chickpeas for serving pitted green olives lemon wedges cooked brown rice, millet or couscous Instructions Heat the coconut oil in a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the onions and immediately lower the heat until they are sizzling quietly. When the onions are soft and translucent, add the cinnamon, cumin, coriander, and chili flakes, if using. Slowly sauté and stir the spiced onion mixture until the onions are quite soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chopped dates, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Season the vegetables with salt and pepper. Stir to coat the vegetables in the spices and oil. Add the crushed tomatoes and stir. Add 3 cups (750 ml) of the vegetable stock. Bring to a boil uncovered, and simmer until the sweet potatoes are just tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Add the yellow bell pepper and chickpeas and stir. Season the whole thing again with salt and pepper. If the stew seems too thick, add the remaining 1 cup (250 ml) of vegetable stock. Simmer until the yellow bell peppers are tender and the sweet potatoes are quite soft, about 5 minutes. Check the soup for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Serve the stew hot with a few green olives per portion, lemon wedges and warm cooked grain. 3.5.3226
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Vintage European bistro chairs found on Craigslist, kitchen table passed down to my husband from his grandmother.
We’ve been living in our home for fifteen years now and up until this fall, we had never put a hammer or paintbrush to anything in the house except for Paloma’s baby room, right before she was born. We inherited some classic 90s Florida detailing from the previous owners – dust-attracting, shaggy red and white carpeting, stucco walls, green laminate countertops and a low-hanging ceiling in the kitchen. Just like many other families I know, we are quite food-oriented and tend to crowd in the kitchen, since that’s where most of the action happens. It’s also where I work, where I come up with recipes for this site and for my cookbooks, so it’s fair to say that I spend most of my life in this space. We recently completed a long, laborious kitchen renovation that spilled out into the living room, and I cannot describe how much my heart sings when I come downstairs every morning and see this kitchen that finally feels so entirely mine. It took us a decade and a half to gather up the courage and the funds to do this, and these past few months have brought some of the most trying times for us as a family, but it finally feels like it was worth it and I’m so excited to share some snaps of Golubka Kitchen HQ with you.
We took a documentary approach to these photos, and instead of shooting everything in one day, the photos were taken over a week, on cloudy days and on sunny days, in the morning and in the evening. There are different aspects of the kitchen that shine on different days, and we really wanted to capture that.
‘Farmhouse’ kitchen sink from Ikea, faucet from Ebay.
Our house has three stories – garage on the first floor, open kitchen and living room on the second, and bedrooms on the third. We renovated the kitchen, the living room floor, ceiling, and fireplace (yes, we have a fireplace in Florida and we use it, too), and both staircases leading up and down to the kitchen and living room. The most expensive part of the whole renovation was the removal of the old hanging ceiling in the kitchen, together with all the electrical work involved. We decided on the cabinets and countertops quickly, but the easy decisions ended there. It took me so incredibly long to settle on a cohesive look for the kitchen. As a notoriously undecisive Libra, I endlessly kept changing my mind about the wall treatment, the tile, the light fixtures, the shelves, the faucet, cabinet pulls, etc. I do love those clean, white kitchens with minimal everything, but in the end I decided that in order to stay true to my heart, I had to go with something a little more feminine and detail-oriented, with a hint of the Downton Abbey kitchen.
The old kitchen had endless cabinets on the walls, some of which always ended up a mess, while others weren’t utilized at all, so I knew I wanted exposed shelves. I’m super happy with that decision – I love having my dishes and jars within arm’s reach and at eye level, since it allows me to be more organized and minimal. Many people wonder whether dust is an issue with open shelves, and I’ve found that it’s not any more of an issue than anywhere else in the house. I also use all the objects on the shelves quite frequently, which doesn’t allow too much dust to accumulate. The shelves are made of very beautiful and sturdy wood reclaimed from an old barn in Kentucky, which we found at Barn Works. I finished the wood myself without the use of a wood stain. The floating shelf arrangement was made possible with the heavy duty brackets from Shelfology, which secure the shelves to the wall very safely and seamlessly.
Tadelakt Moroccan Plaster with Benjamin Moore ‘White Stone’ color pigment
Industrial brass rod with copper hooks from Etsy, vintage Brazilian copper utensils with wooden handles found on Craigslist.
During the initial planning stage, I was certain that I wanted a subway tile backsplash, but was simultaneously seeing and liking backsplashes made with Moroccan, Spanish and Mexican patterned tiles. I agonized over my choice between the two until I discovered Tadelakt, the Moroccan plaster, and there was no turning back. I knew I wanted grey shaker kitchen cabinets, but the plaster treatment also presented the possibility of grey walls. I’ve always been attracted to grey rooms, to me they just speak of serenity, so I was pretty happy with this opportunity. Finding someone who would apply the plaster masterfully but for a fair price, and getting the job completed was probably one of the most nerve-racking parts of the renovation. We did find someone brilliant, and it ended up worth the stress, because I am completely in love with my new walls. The material is so warm, textural and interesting, and it totally ties the whole kitchen together.
As much as I loved the idea of a patterned tile floor, I was still torn between its beauty/­­practicality and the homey feel of hardwood floors, which I wanted to have in the living room. I finally settled on the idea of combining the two, and as a result, the tile follows the line of the kitchen cabinets in the shape of an inverted ‘Z,’ while we can still enjoy the warmth of the hardwood floors in the sitting area and into the living room. The tile is from the Cement Tile Shop, which offers an overwhelming array of the most beautiful, authentic patterns. Of course I found settling on one to be a near impossible task. I went from multicolored to black and white, to pastel, to monochrome tiles dozens of times before landing on the Fountaine Antique pattern with a custom border. As for the hardwood floor, I’d always dreamt of an old-fashioned herringbone pattern in real wood, which proved to be really difficult to find within the United States. The one company that carried thick oak planks in a herringbone pattern didn’t have enough to cover our floor at first, but they later ended up finding one extra box tucked away in a different warehouse. I’m so glad that they did because I’m completely over the moon about how the floors turned out. It’s worth mentioning that the old kitchen floor was white tile that showed off every spec of dust that landed on it, and the living room floors had white plush carpeting, and I am so happy to finally be rid of both.
We found the best contractor, Don, who left us endlessly impressed, together with his talented and considerate team. He truly cared about every step of the process and saved us so many times with his expert advice and creative input. The most standout showcase of the team’s work is the spacious drawer pantry they built out of vintage fruit crates from Schiller’s Salvage. My idea was realized even better than I had envisioned – the crates were originally too long and the crew manually disassembled, shortened and rebuilt them, then positioned them on smoothly sliding tracks. The countertop over the crates is made of old barn oak and finished by me in the same way as the floating shelves. The whole piece, on top of being unique and beautiful, is the most functional and spacious storage space in the whole kitchen.
Quartz countertops from the Home Depot in ‘Snowy Ibiza’
Antique Spanish hutch from the 1800s, a lucky Craigslist find, brought to the U.S. from Madrid
Vintage ceramic and brass cabinet pulls from Ebay and Etsy
Vintage ceramic door knob from eBay, ‘Pink Shadow’ Sherwin Williams paint on the door. Custom built computer shelf made by Algis from old barn wood.
My favorite thing about the vintage French chandelier that I found on Etsy are the rainbows it sends onto the walls in the evenings.
Fireplace brick wall made with 100 year old sliced brick from Craigslist, arranged beautifully by Algis.
Stairs leading up to the third floor with the bedrooms.
Since both of the staircases connect to the kitchen and living room, we realized that we had to redo them as well, so that they wouldn’t be an eyesore within the new renovation. My husband and I set out to do the whole thing ourselves to save some cash, but in hindsight, I wouldn’t wish this type of adventure upon my worst enemy. All the stairs were covered with red carpeting, and the railings were painted an ugly orange-ish brown. The original plan was to remove the old carpet and to cover the existing stairs with new wood planks. To our surprise, however, we discovered a beautiful pine under the carpeting and decided to restore the original stairs along with stripping and re-finishing the railing. It took me two and a half months to complete this part of the project alone.
Stairs leading up to the kitchen/­­living room from the garage. Ceramic tile from Spain with weathered grey hues, uneven borders, satin finish.
This kitchen renovation wouldn’t have been possible without the help and generosity of Cement Tile Shop, Shelfology, Barn Works, Schiller’s Salvage, and Floor and Decor. My eternal gratitude goes out to Don and the team for your incredible care and craftsmanship in everything you do, Algis for the amazing job with the tile, plaster, fireplace and shelf, Vadim for the impeccable hardwood installation, and Dale for the immense help with the tile and stairs.
Resources
Contractor – Don Violette at V & P Construction and Maintenance
Kitchen Tile – Cement Tile Shop
Shelves – Shelfology for the floating shelf brackets, Barn Works for the reclaimed lumber
Vintage Fruit Crates – Schiller’s Architectural and Design Salvage
Hardwood Floors – Floor and Decor
Kitchen Cabinets – Floor and Decor
Countertops – Home Depot, quartz in ‘Snowy Ibiza’
Accessory Resources – in photo captions
If you happen to be looking for some incredibly talented craftsmen for your renovation in the Tampa Bay area, please reach out to me and I will be happy to connect you.
The post The Kitchen Renovation appeared first on Golubka Kitchen.

Turmeric Cauliflower Rice, Spiced Chickpeas or lentils, Black pepper hummus and Greens bowl. Amazing Flavors for any meal. Ready within 25 minutes. Vegan Gluten-free Grain-free Soy-free Recipe
Some days I want a good easy meal but don’t want to cook something elaborate unless also making for the blog. That however can become a deterrent if I had no particular plan for the day. Eventually I drop the idea and whip up something to taste (noting ingredients just in case) and eat up a portion. I debate whether I should take photos to put it on the blog and depending on the recipe it ends up here or not.
This bowl came about similarly. I wanted to eat cauliflower rice, so I made a variation of my Turmeric Lemon Rice. that got paired with some easy spiced chickpeas and carrots. A dollop of hummus that had been spiked with freshly crushed black pepper, and a bowlful of greens of choice makes a lovely meal. Make the entire bowl or parts of it. But make some.
Cauliflower Rice is delicious simply spiced with turmeric and lemon. Black pepper boosts turmeric’s absorption and the flavor profile added to the hummus is amazing. Make hummus from scratch or use store bough or premade. Chickpeas and carrots are simply spiced with Moroccan spices. With premade hummus the meal comes together within 25 minutes. Serve the bowl with greens or lettuce and dash of lemon. Continue reading: Turmeric Cauliflower Rice, Chickpeas, Black Pepper Hummus BowlThe post Turmeric Cauliflower Rice, Chickpeas, Black Pepper Hummus Bowl appeared first on Vegan Richa.

In each issue of Vegetarian Times, we feature a talented vegetarian food blogger. Our Featured Blogger shares a little info about the blogger plus one of their tasty, meat-free recipes. In March, we highlighted Erin Wysocarski, vegan and the inspirational blogger behind Olives for Dinner. We chatted with Erin to find out more about her blog.
Subscribe now for just $10 to see our featured blogger recipe every month!
VT: What was the inspiration for your awesome blog?
Erin: When I first went vegan more than 10 years ago, I wasnt much of a cook. In fact, I rarely cooked at all! So I relied primarily upon other vegan blogs to help me know what to cook and how to cook it. Once I eventually got the hang of cooking, it became less intimidating and more like a fun adventure, and I became better with each cooking experiment. Armed with my newfound confidence, I was inspired to create my own blog similar to those blogs that inspired me--with the goal of inspiring others.
VT: What is your most popular recipe (and why do you think its popular)?
Erin: Definitely my vegan crab cakes (made with hearts of palm) and vegan lox (made by salt roasting carrots). I think its appealing to those readers who want to eat in alignment with their veganism, but miss the ritual and sensory experience of piling smoky lox on top of a bagel or tapping into a crispy, flaky crab cake. Also, its kind of fun taking a plant-based ingredient like hearts of palm or carrots and manipulating it to recreate the flavor and texture of seafood.
VT: How would you describe your recipes/­­cooking style?
Erin: Im really drawn to the flavors, ingredients and visual components of East and Southeast Asian cuisines, and most of my recipes implement at least one element inspired by them. I especially love veganizing traditional, meat-centric dishes like pork buns (using oyster mushrooms) and sambal seitan skewers (using vital wheat gluten), as well as creating other non-traditional dishes like my spicy Thai-style pizza (using crushed and crumbled tofu) and dynamite Rolls (using king oyster mushrooms). Veganizing meat-heavy dishes is always kind of like putting a puzzle together--its fun to see how plant-based ingredients can be moved around and put together to create a dish that is not only compassionate, but also creative and delicious.
VT: You talk about debunking the myth that vegan food is inaccessible. What is some advice youve give to someone who feels like it is?
Erin: Because we live in such a meat-centric world, veganism only seems difficult, but is actually very accessible once you shift your focus towards making compassionate choices. No matter where you live or what you like to eat or cook, there are so many great vegan resources, products, cookbooks, classes and recipe blogs available that make it easier than ever to become less dependent upon animal-based products in our daily lives.
As far as finding specialty vegan ingredients and products, the market has exploded with online and brick and mortar shops like Food Fight! Grocery, Thrive Market, Rabbit Food Grocery, Herbivore Clothing Co. and Vegan Essentials, to name a few. There are fantastic meat alternative brands like Gardein (my favorite), Field Roast and Beyond Meat that are typically available at Target, Costco and most mainstream grocery stores. Vegan cheese alternatives like Daiya, Miyokos Kitchen (my favorite), Kite Hill and Chao are also popping up more frequently in some stores and online. And if you are looking for vegan restaurants near where you live or while travelling, HappyCow is a great resource!
To help with vegan cooking, there are literally hundreds of vegan cookbook titles for every type of cooking style (from quick and easy to more advanced and involved) to choose from. I suggest checking out any of Isa Chandra Moskowitzs cookbooks (Vegan with a Vengeance was my first vegan cookbook, and I still refer to it today, 10 years later!) and visiting sites like Finding Vegan, Minimalist Baker, Vegan Richa and Oh She Glows, to name a few. The food on these sites are easy to make, beautifully photographed and inspiring! And if youd like a more comprehensive approach to plant-based cooking, there are some fantastic resources out there. Last year I completed Rouxbe’s Plant-Based Professional Certification Course and was in a virtual classroom with other like-minded students at all levels of cooking ability across the globe. I would recommend it to anyone, from beginner to the seasoned cook.
(Check out VT’s new online course, Secrets to Vegan Baking: American Classics, which features vegan baking basics to professional-level techniques.)
VT: What is the best comment youve received from a reader?
Erin: I appreciate all comments and feedback, but the ones I like best are from readers who have tried a recipe, loved it and let me know ... and its especially awesome when a recipe or dish is shared with others. One comment that stands out was from a reader who made my carrot lox and said,
This recipe turned out AMAZINGLY! Thank you so much for such a great food experience … My omni husband also raved about it, taking some to our neighbors (good friends) and insisted they try some. They also couldn’t believe it was carrot. Win, win, win! On the shortlist for dinner parties.
Enthusiastic feedback like this makes all of the hard work and effort I put in behind the scenes worth it!
VT: Tell us your favorite Vegetarian Times recipes. (Or ones youd like to try).
Erin:
1. Tempeh Avocado Sushi
2. Moroccan-Spiced Millet-and-Lentil Salad
3. Basil Ice Cream
3. Tempeh Tacos with Ancho-Lime Sauce
4. Singapore Hawker Noodles with Golden Tofu and Coconut
are all some of my favorites!
VT: What is one valuable thing youve learned from vegan cooking?
Erin: That it gives the opportunity to be compassionate, creative and nourished all at once! Vegan cooking isnt exclusively about removing things from your diet--its about adding and combining plant-based ingredients and flavors together to create dishes that are not only delicious, but also kind to the planet and all forms of life.
Subscribe now for just $10 to see our featured blogger recipe every month!
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How to keep the peace between the omnivores and vegetarians at your holiday table
Heading home for Thanksgiving as a newbie vegetarian? No need to fear the meat-eaters. Here, seasoned vegetarians offer dos and donts, answers for the silly (and serious) questions you may get from family and friends, tips for veg makeovers of traditional family dishes, and suggestions for main dishes even omnivores will love.
Gene Baur
Farm Sanctuary president and co-founder Gene Baur, a vegan, marks 1986 as his most memorable Thanksgiving, because that was the year he started celebrating the holiday by saving turkeys from slaughter. It was a way to turn a violent tradition into a more compassionate one, says Baur. One of the highlights that first year was an iconic picture taken as Clyde, our rescued turkey, poked his head into the oven as we were pulling out the main course, a stuffed squash.
Q: What are your favorite Thanksgiving dishes?
A: I love many of the plant-based side dishes commonly served at Thanksgiving, including potatoes, cornbread, stuffing, beets, veggies, corn, beans, and squash. My new book, Living the Farm Sanctuary Life, includes some Thanksgiving table-worthy recipes, like roasted-root salad and roasted asparagus with preserved lemon and crispy capers.
Q: Do you have traditional dishes that you have remade veg?
A: Yes, I have actually created a new dish by combining scrambled tofu with stuffing. The spices and veggies of each dish are complementary, and the heavier tofu and lighter stuffing balance each other out nicely.
Q: What question are you most often asked about your diet and how do you respond?
A: Where do you get your protein? It might seem silly to long-time veggies who have found getting protein to be very easy, but to people who have been bombarded by marketing campaigns touting animal protein, its often a serious concern, and I address it as such. I explain that the average American actually gets too much protein, and that protein is present in most plant foods. Vegan foods especially high in protein include beans, greens, tofu, tempeh, quinoa, nuts, and seeds.
ESSENTIAL DO: Be friendly and supportive of others who may be curious about exploring a more compassionate holiday.
ESSENTIAL DONT: Dont allow the holiday carnage to get the best of you. Focus on the positive.
Julieanna Hever
Julieanna Hever, RD, The Plant-Based Dietitian, cooking show host, and author of The Vegiterranean Diet, says that Thanksgiving is her favorite holiday: The focus is on gratitude, a priority that is often overlooked with the bustle of daily living.
Q: What are your favorite Thanksgiving dishes?
A: I love all the colorful squashes, fruits, and root vegetables, and I find myself cooking more frequently
during this time of year. My favorite dishes include anything with pumpkin or butternut squash, and roasted Brussels sprouts. I have a stuffed acorn squash and herbed tempeh recipe that are my go-to Thanksgiving entrées.
Q: Do you have traditional family dishes that you have remade veg?
A: Yes, Ive revamped a chocolate-chip pumpkin bread that has become a family favorite; I swap in vegetable broth in any soups we traditionally made; and I use either prepared tempeh, tofu, or faux meats instead of turkey.
Q: Do you have other non-food-related Thanksgiving traditions?
A: We all go around the table and say what we are most grateful for and what we hope for in the upcoming year.
ESSENTIAL DO: Enjoy an indulgence. When you focus on eating healthfully throughout the year, it is a good thing to enjoy a treat on holidays.
ESSENTIAL DONT: Dont be defensive when someone tries to pressure you into just one bite of something not in alignment with your beliefs. One of the easiest responses is, Thank you for offering, but Im enjoying whats on my plate.
Lisa Bloom
NBC legal analyst, trial lawyer, and owner of The Bloom Firm, Lisa Bloom, a vegan, hosted her most unforgettable Thanksgiving in 2013, the first year that her omnivore guests embraced a full-fledged veg feast. How did she win them over? It helped that the [faux turkey], mushroom gravy, stuffing, sweet potatoes, almond string beans, and the boatload of pies were insanely tasty. The final verdict: Afterward everyone realized how nice it was not to be catatonic after the meal; full, but no one went into cardiac arrest. And no animals were harmed in our celebration of gratitude, which is what Thanksgiving is all about for me.
Q: What question are you most often asked about your diet and how do you respond?
A: My philosophy is that I dont actively proselytize, but if asked a direct question, I will give an honest answer.
So, I often have this conversation:
New Friend: Oh, youre vegan. Why?
Me: Because I love animals, so I dont want to financially support their cruelty and deaths.
NF: How does it affect your health?
Me: Well, Im 53. I run marathons, climb mountains, take long cycling trips. I almost never get sick. I take no medication. My cardiologist says I have the heart of a 20-year-old. For all that I thank my whole-food vegan diet and daily exercise regimen.
Q: What are your favorite Thanksgiving dishes?
A: One Veg Worlds [faux] turkey with a crispy skin, my Moroccan-spiced carrot dip, and my chocolate pecan pie.
ESSENTIAL DO: Offer to bring a few dishes. This is key to family happiness. Make sure they are amazing and delicious.
ESSENTIAL DONT: Dont apologize for being a compassionate soul, caring about your health, wanting to reverse climate change, or whatever your reason for going veg is.

Over the past few months Ive been working hard on taking Veggie num num to the next level. Creating a new, beautiful space to share recipes and filling it with lots of useful resources on becoming vegetarian and enjoying healthy plant-based food. Things go far slower than I would like, still thats how life is at the moment and thats okay.
Work and family life are a balance and I feel ever so grateful simply to have the opportunity to devote so much time to this! I look forward to bringing all my ideas to you soon but until then, at least theres pizza and a dang good one at that!
This vegan pizza recipe has been sitting on my to-do list for far too long and Im glad to finally be sharing it. Its a combination of so many flavours I love and ones you see often here on Veggie num num. Harissa sauce, spiced lentils, syrupy pickled beets, crunchy fennel, sweet mint, all drizzled with creamy tahini; it sure made my belly happy!!
I used the simple option of a store-brought flat bread for the base, if youd like to make your own, you could use this simple pizza dough recipe. The lentil mince is incredibly tasty and versatile. Serve it over toast, in a wrap or with salad or vegetables for a warming and tasty protein packed lunch or dinner.
Following my Dads homemade pickled beet recipe, I added caraway, lemon and fennel to make it a little fancy and complement the other ingredients. The recipe below only makes a small amount. You could always double it (or more), if youre lucky enough to have a glut of beetroots lying around.
Warm spicy flavours, topped with fresh green goodness and as much tahini as you can muster; I sure hope youll enjoy this one!!
PICKLED BABY BEETS w CARAWAY + LEMON
|| note: you can use large beetroot for this recipe and simple double or quadruple if you have lots lying around. The pickled beets will keep in your fridge or unopened in a sterilized jar in the pantry. ||
Preparation time: 50mins /­­/­­ makes one small jar
- 250g (9oz) baby beetroot, scrubbed + whiskers and leafy tops trimmed
- 1/­­2 -1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 tbs maple syrup
- 1 1/­­2 tsp caraway seeds
- 1 organic lemon, zest
- 1 tbs leafy fennel tops
Place the whole beetroot in a saucepan with enough water to generously cover. Bring to the boil and continue to gently boil for around 15-25 minutes or until the skins start to wrinkle. Remove the beets from the saucepan, reserving the cooking water and set aside to cool.
Once cool enough to handle peel away the skins and then dice into cubes. Return the diced beets to the saucepan with around 1/­­2 cup of the reserved cooking water and 1/­­2 cup apple cider vinegar. Adding more water and vinegar if needed to cover the diced beetroot completely.
Add the maple syrup to taste and caraway seeds. Bring to the boil and gently simmer for around 20-25 minutes until beetroot is tender.
You can bottle the beetroot at this stage in a sterilized jar if you plan to store it in the pantry, simply top up with extra vinegar and water to fill the jar, if needed.
If using straight away, allow to cool and then toss through the lemon zest and fennel tops.
MOROCCAN SPICED LENTIL MINCE
Preparation time 35 mins /­­/­­ Serves 4
- 1 cup brown lentils, rinsed
- 3 cups water
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp grated nutmeg
- 1/­­2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/­­2 tsp all spice
- 1/­­4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tbs rice bran or sunflower oil
- 1/­­2 tbs olive oil
- 1 brown onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
Place the rinsed lentils in a saucepan with the three cups of water and cinnamon stick. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat and allow the lentils to simmer gently, covered, for around 25 minutes until tender and liquid is absorbed. Once the lentils are cooked remove the cinnamon stick.
Meanwhile add the cumin and coriander seeds to a mortar and pestle with the nutmeg, ginger, all spice and cayenne pepper. Grind to form a spice powder.
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a low heat and dry roast the spice mix until fragrant. Being careful to keep the heat low and not burn the spices. Remove from the pan.
Return the pan to the heat, add the oils and fry the onion over a medium heat for 4 minutes, or so, until soft. Add the roasted spice powder and garlic. Toss to form a spice paste in the pan.
Add the cooked lentils with salt flakes and cracked pepper to taste. Fry over a medium heat for another 4-5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
This savoury lentil mince is super versatile and can also be frozen for a quick protein packed addition to meals when time is short.
MOROCCAN LENTIL PIZZA w PICKLED BABY BEETS, FENNEL, TAHINI + MINT
Preparation time: 20 minutes (+ around 50 minutes to prepare the above) /­­/­­ makes two medium pizzas
- Prepared pickled baby beets
- Prepared lentil mince
- 2 Lebanese flat bread or pizza base of your choice
- 3/­­4 cup tomato paste
- 2-3 tbs harissa paste (to taste)
- 3 tbs pine nuts
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 baby fennel bulb, thinly sliced
- good handful of fresh mint leaves
- extra fennel top greens
- 3 tbs (or more) tahini
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/­­390°F and line two baking trays with baking paper.
In a small bowl mix the tomato paste with the harissa until well combined.
Spread the tomato paste mixture over the flat bread or pizza bases, top in a single layer with a good amount of the spicy lentil mince, scatter over the pickled beets and then the pine nuts.
Drizzle over a little olive oil and place in the hot oven for around 15 minutes until base is crisp and edges brown.
Remove from the oven and scatter with the sliced fennel, roughly tear and scatter over the mint and fennel greens and then drizzled with tahini before cutting into wedges to serve.
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Meatless Monday is going to Washington, D.C. And a second grade student deserves all the credit.
Lily Vinch will join 54 students in Washington, D.C.
Lily Vinch, an 8-year old who attends Andersen Elementary School, Guam, created a winning recipe and will be traveling with 54 other students, all of whom earned a trip to the third annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge in Washington. Created by Epicurious and designed to challenge students to create nutritious meals according the USDAs MyPlate recommendations, the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge will also be attended by First Lady Michelle Obama, who will be hosting a State Dinner for all the student participants.
I am looking forward to hosting the winners of the Healthy Lunchtime Challenge here at the White House,” said Mrs. Obama. This event gives us the opportunity to showcase healthy creations from talented kid chefs from across our country, and I cant wait to see--and taste--this years selections.
Lily’s winning entry is called Mo-Rockin Meatless Monday Special, a dish the First Ladys office called particularly impressive, as it was creative, tasted great, and most importantly, was healthy, so thats why in a recent judging, we picked yours as the best from your state.
So what is a Mo-Rockin Meatless Monday Special? Its a couscous and spinach salad with Moroccan spices and dried fruit. We thought we had a good chance of winning with a recipe for a meal that we love to eat, Lily told a local reporter. Im really looking forward to meeting the First Lady and hopefully the President of the United States.
Students cooked for two special guests at the 2013 Healthy Challenge
Here at Meatless Monday, we congratulate Lily for her accomplishment, and for getting the Meatless Monday name on this health-focused national stage. This also confirms that when children cook with their parents-the mission behind The Kids Cook Monday-kids develop a passion for food that is delicious and nutritious.
This certainly seems to be the case in the Vinch household. We had a few healthy, tried and true recipes our family enjoys, Sarah Vinch, Lilys mom, said. So we tested a few, and I let Lily choose which one she thought would be our best chance at winning. Im so proud of her for wanting to enter the contest, and just plain ecstatic that we are going to the White House. Sometimes a little effort, like entering a contest, can have a huge reward! Its a great lesson for life.
The post Meatless Monday Goes To the White House: Second Grade Student Wins “Healthy Challenge” appeared first on Meatless Monday.